title: The effect of nifedipine on skin-flap survival.
abstract: Nifedipine, a calcium-channel blocker, is a peripheral vasodilator and has been shown to increase blood flow to skin. The hypothesis that nifedipine would thereby improve skin-flap viability was tested by comparing the extent of necrosis of long pedicle flaps in control and nifedipine-treated rats. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to receive either 2.5 mg/kg nifedipine in chocolate PO t.i.d. or plain chocolate according to protocols. Serum nifedipine levels were determined by gas chromatography. Dorsal cephalad-based random vascular pedicle flaps (2 X 6 cm) were elevated, sutured to their beds, and photographed for computer-aided surface area determinations. The extent of distal flap necrosis was expressed as a percentage of the total flap area, and differences were studied by one-way analysis of variance. The differences between the mean percentages of necrosis at 1 and 2 weeks for the groups were not statistically significant. We conclude that nifedipine has no effect on the extent of necrosis of the random skin flap in the rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Emery
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Kodey
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bomberger
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: McGregor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D016038:Skin Transplantation
chemical_list: D009543:Nifedipine